Morning comes way too soon.
One minute i'm passed out on a bed that feels like it was made from clouds and stolen angel feathers, next i'm being woken up by a floating clock yelling at me.
"First bell in ten minutes, initiate!
Attendance is mandatory!"
I groan and roll over. "Five more minutes, alarm demon."
The clock zaps me.
Yeah. Literally zaps me.
So, I guess that's how mornings work here.
By the time i stumble into the main courtyard, the place is already buzzing.
Students everwhere some reading glowing books, others sparring with energy blades, one guy levitating an entire vending machine because, apparently, breakfast is worth fighting for.
And me? I'm the only one wewring jeans and a hoodie that says "Nope"
"New blood, huh?"
The voice comes from a girl leaning against a floating pillar, spinning a coin made of light between her fingers. She's maybe my age, tan skin, dark braids tied back, sharp green eyes that look like they've already seen everything.
"Yeah," i say. "Name's Lenny. You are...?"
"Rika." She grins. "Fire discipline. You smell like confusion and fear."
"I'd argue soap, but sure."
Before i can ask what "fire discipline" even means, a tall guy with white hair and a smirk saunters past. His uniform's perfect, his boots shine, and he's clearly the type who was born with both power and an ego the size of Jupiter.
"Watch yourself, new kid", he says. "People who break the Veil don't tend to last long here."
"Oh good," I reply. "Love the hospitality."
Rika snorts. "That's Darius. Top of the elemental track. Big deal, tiny patience."
Darius doesn't even look back. "Try not to cause another interdimensional incident, Crackseer."
And just like that, I've got my first rival.
Awesome.
Classes are... chaos.
First period: Magical Theory. Professor Inkstain (yep, the same guy from before) spends twenty minutes trying to explain the
"Cultivation Flow Matrix" while his quill keeps floating away mid sentence.
Second period: Energy Fundamentald. A bunch of students meditate while i sit there trying to "feel my essence." Spoiler: I feel nothing except hunger.
Third period: Combat Training.
I get blasted across the room by someone's lightning spell and discover that my "crackseer" ability does kick in durning fights glowing red cracks appear along opponent's spells right before they hit.
Cool, right?
Except i have no idea how to use that information while flying ten feet backward.
By lunch, i'm bruised, exausted, and seriously reconsidering my life choices.
Then Rika sits across from me at the cafeteria table.
She slides a glowing drink toward me.
"Mana shake," she says. "Tastes like strawberries and static. Helps with headaches."
I sip it. It tastes exactly like that.
"Thanks," I mumble. "So, whats's the deal with this place? Everyone acts like I'm radioactive"
Rika's expression softens.
"Because you kinda are. The veil's beem weakening for years and now a random kid breaks through it? People are scared. They think you're a sign."
"A sign of what?"
"That something's coming."
Before i can ask what something means, the lights flicker.
A rumble shakes the floor.
Out in the courtyard, the air itself starts tk shimmer and i see them again.
Cracks.
Dozen of them. Expanding fast.
Students scream. Professors shout incantations. Energy bursts through the fractures like molten glass.
And in the middle of the chaos, a voice echoes in my head.
"You shouldn't have opened the Veil, Lenny."